Maine Responds to AFFF Spill with Sampling, Drones, and Door-to-Door Outreach

Since learning of the August 19 release of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) mixed with water at a small airport, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has pursued a variety of actions to gather information, coordinate with others, and keep the public informed. These activities, which build on experiences of some other states, may provide insights for states should they face a PFAS or other spill in the future.

Upon learning of the spill in Brunswick of approximately 1,450 gallons of AFFF mixed with 50,000 gallons of water, Maine DEP began gathering information through sampling the retention pond the spill entered and nearby surface water, marine water, soil, and private wells. Drones from the University of Maine have also been used to monitor foam formation. In early September, the state began collecting fish tissue samples. As the spill occurred in an area that has been sampled extensively for a federal PFAS cleanup effort, Maine DEP had access to information on PFAS levels prior to the spill.

In addition to gathering information, Maine DEP has been coordinating with many other agencies and groups as they responded to the emergency and then transitioned to long-term remediation. Within a couple days of the spill, they formed a Unified Command including Maine DEP, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention (Maine CDC), the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, U.S. EPA, the Town of Brunswick, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Maine also used information from other states to decide that in the immediate aftermath of the spill, AFFF foam collection and capture is an effective method for recovery of the spilled material. In addition, Maine CDC has issued new freshwater fish consumption advisories for four water bodies near the spill, and the Maine Department of Marine Resources closed a portion of a marine cove to shellfish harvesting due to the spill. 

Significant outreach and communications efforts have also been undertaken to keep nearby residents and the public at large informed. Maine DEP has published at least nine press releases on the incident and its followup, and the Unified Command held a press conference the week of the spill. The agency also established a webpage specifically for the Brunswick site spill to share information including all sampling data, and Maine DEP staff have started going door-to-door to gather samples from private wells in a targeted area.